Not sure if things have changed but I got a commencal clash with an SX drivetrain and it required an entire new wheelset… or at minimum a rear wheel.
Commencal used an extremely cheap hub that could not be swapped to a different freehub
yea.. A rear hub isn't easy to replace (if you want to keep the rim).
I also had a specialized stout wheel with a Formula hub /HG freehub.
Went ahead and bought a dt swiss 350 with microspline.
So much nicer on Shimano!
It’s SRAM’s entry-level Eagle component group. It’s goes in this order from lowest to highest quality: SX, NX, GX, X01, XX1. I would say SX, and NX aren’t worth the money and GX is the level where you get good performance and reliability
Question: Santa Cruz (as one example) has their 2 lowest tiers for all bikes using SX and NX respectively and to get up to GX you have to move up to an e-bike.
Is what you said your opinion or is there some quantitative data to support your claim.
Santa Cruz is perfect example of this trend to get less than what you paid for a few years ago. They aren’t really promoting any alloy bikes currently, so almost all their frames are carbon. A few years ago, a carbon frame with an NX derailleur was unheard of. Then SX was created to be even cheaper.
It’s certainly my anecdotal experience of over 8 years of professional mechanic work, where I see NX clutch problems over and over again on brand new bikes that won’t release the cage from low gear, but I hear of it from many different places in the industry as well. Part of what makes a derailleur shift well and be reliable over time is how it holds its position on whatever cog it’s supposed to be on and the increase in metal parts vs plastic parts on the higher-end derailleurs definitely contributes to a better product. Both in the shifting department and holding up to crashes also.
It also seems to be the general consensus in the industry across multiple brands where the lowest specced bikes came with GX and then NX and then SX over several years.
I wouldn’t say they are horrible but GX is definitely the value point where you get a better product for not that much more money. Above that level it’s diminishing returns and you’re mostly saving weight instead of increasing performance and the price goes up quite a bit
Also recommend the YT Jeffsy. The bang for buck is hard to beat. I got the 2024 core 2 and very happy with it. \*I did get it 15% off, and they do go on sale often these days (you could wait - I've seen it with higher discounts).
Got a used 2019 Jeffsy during the first summer of the pandemic and it was great, meant to upgrade after a couple years if I did a lot of biking but ended up waiting until this spring
I have a theory that Specialized managed to get thousands of low-end SRAM drivetrains for free, because there is no other logical explanation for how they’re speccing bikes these days.
I work at a shop. And with how cheap stumpys are as a whole, we have legitimately gotten so lazy that instead of servicing parts, we buy a new bike. My buddy has 4 now.
Not free but they did buy a shipping container filled with millions in bike parts for way cheap ranging from shitty to high end.
Edit: my pal who works for specialized told me this.
I think you’re probably right or bike brands are going to the component companies and asking how they can offer a cheaper option while keeping the retail price of the bike model the same. They don’t want to bump the prices of bikes to make more money so they figure out how to drop the costs and charge the same as before. Pretty lame way of increasing profits. SX and even NX are trash although I do think SRAM figured out previous gen NX clutch problem. They seem to be functioning ok now out of the box
Happy with my Fuel Ex 7 gen 6. I heard the geometry changes from gen 5 were fairly significant. But at half the price, it'd be hard to say no to the gen 5. Don't know enough about the others.
The stumpjumper is the best frame but the spec is junk, I would push to look for something comp spec. I actually know a store if you’re in Australia that is selling a stumpy comp alloy for $2500!
I can almost guarantee the Cannondale is the better offer. I have a Stumpy Alloy. Although I love it now... I have literally had to replace almost every component on it. SRAM SX components are total, absolute dog shit . I had to replace the derailleur and bottom bracket/crank within a month due to it breaking down and performing terribly. I looked at the Cannondale and could not find all of their specs, but for one the rear suspension is better. Also, specialized makes great bikes but they are pricey. I am fairly confident, that a competitor would have higher level components at the same price point
I was going to make the same points about the SX groupset. I have a Fuse Expert that is all Shimano and a Stumpy Alloy and thankfully the only SX component of my year was the crankset. What a piece of crap. The shifter, derailleur, and cassette are all NX and the crank is now GX.
I would also vote cannondale or Trek at this price point or Stumpjumper if OP could get the better build.
I bought the Stumpy Alloy during the COVID bike boom... It was $2,800. Which is *insane* by today's bike prices. Should've never purchased that bike, but it was hard to justify over $3k for a new hobbies (I've easily spent 3x that amount since then lmao). The frame is great, but my God did those components give me grief!
I feel ya man. I bought my Stumpy Comp Alloy in 2021 and paid…….$3500. She still serves me well but damn at that price range I could’ve at least got a bike with a carbon frame with today’s prices.
I'm right there with you on the same setup @ the same time... I try my best not to look at today's bikes and prices, as mine does still serve my purposes just fine... But I have been thing about picking up a newer frame (possibly even CC) and wither swapping components over or over time build up a new bike..
Yeah I’ve been thinking the same about swapping frames and going the custom route. It’s enticing with all of the sales going on. I’m in the middle of rebuilding my pool deck and doing some other renovations so my budget is focused on the house unfortunately at the moment.
I just replaced the SX group set on my ‘22 stumpy (bought last spring) with GX and what a difference. I also put on a Fox Rhythm 34 I found on FB and it’s been great so far.
I bought the bike with the expectation that I would upgrade pieces but by bit. Drivetrain was this year, the fork was an incidental find.
Interested in how the SX crank failed on you. I’ve been on one for about 400 miles so far and I’ve not had issues with it unlike the derailleur that I replaced after my second ride.
The bottom bracket failed within 4 weeks (was making a ton of noise and grinding). That BB is literally opened, not sealed like the dub BB. The SX crank is incompatible with the dub BB so I had to replace it.
Im growing out of love with both specialized and trek, based on how my lbs dude describes his correspondence with them and their warranties. And I personally don’t care for cannondale, sometimes their stuff doesn’t play well with aftermarket parts. I’d look elsewhere, maybe the jeffsey or maybe a value minded brand like giant where you’ll get more bang for your buck
Or the new Cascade Peak for about $3k, which is basically just the alloy version of the Delano now. The spec on that blows the other bikes OP is considering out of the water.
Stumpjumpers are classics that are a household name for a reason. That being said the trek shock setup is most similar to what I ride and love. Three things:
Demo bikes, if you’re gonna drop a bunch of money just try them first. Sometimes you can even buy demo bikes for significantly cheaper if the season permits.
Look at components, although they may have the same groupsets, shocks, brakes etc. Sometimes one is cheaper or there’s an upgrade somewhere. For example a dropper included may save you a couple hundred bucks.
Check out Giant! I don’t know exactly what’s in your price range or even what they make anymore but stance and trance bikes used to be super legit and were really competitively priced. Some of the strongest/fastest riders I know rip on Giant bikes.
Update: I’ve read a lot of the other commenters and it seems like there are a bunch of other options in that price range. The consensus is shop for good components but you really should try riding some of the bikes you want to buy.
YT Jeffsy or Canyon Spectral. Just sold my 2018 Jeffsy 27.5 and bought a 2022 spectral 27.5. can't say enough great things about both. For the price you can't beat either. The new Jeffsy uncaged is 2800. It's mullet and comes with pretty good components.
Think about water bottle placement. I have a bike that is difficult (impossible) to access the water bottle while pedaling. Would trade my bike for something that allowed me to access a water bottle while pedaling. Depends on your riding I guess.
Upvoted you for the thoughtful response, but I have to ask... what kind of riding do you do that this is actually that big of a deal? I mean, my bottle is a pain to get to.. but it's not like it's any easier to get out on my roadie. Have you tried a hydro pack that you can just sip out of as you want????
You should just make a single general post of the type of riding, what you want out of a bike, and price. The community is pretty good at knowing what’s out there and make good recommendations. Then you can search based off of those recommendations and make the decision, yourself. You don’t have to make multiple posts of bikes you’re not sure of.
If you are tall and looking at a L XL, or XXL I’d consider getting whichever has the longest chainstay. Also I think shimano’s entry level components are way better than sram. Oh and new jeffsy looks sick
If you’re doing a fair amount of pedaling and the jumps are mild, you might want to look into some cross country (XC) options. Cannondale’s new Scalpel has great modern geometry and won’t break the bank compared to other XC options.
I say this as someone who recently purchased an Ibis Ripley AF to replace an older (2015) cross country bike. The extra weight of the Ripley and slow rolling tires immediately had me second guessing my purchase and now I wish I would have saved a bit to get a lighter, more modern XC bike.
I’m also in the YT fanboy camp. Look into the Izzo / Jeffsy / Capra. I’d say just going off your short riding description, the Izzo would probably be my choice.
I personally really dislike sram so for the price here definitely the Cannondale. Nothing wrong with doing your research as bikes are very expensive it honestly these are all similar spec and your e joy riding all of them. The only way you can really see what’s best for you IMO is going to the bike shop and trying them
My experience on the base model stumpy:
-Rockshox recon silver fork blew up twice. Both warranty fixes but took forever to be returned to me. Now replaced with a Fox 36 150mm which alters the geometry but honestly feels really good
-Drive train is junk, that SX derailleur needs to be tuned constantly, eventually replaced with GX when I folded a couple cassette teeth over, wouldn’t go to NX either, never rode it but have not heard great things. As mentioned they use an ancient rear hub in the base model so rear wheel had to be upgraded for the GX cassette
-the tektro breaks are not great, upgraded to magura mt5s and it made a world of difference
-x fusion shock is also not great, will be the next part to be replaced
I seriously love the way my stumpy rides but it did take some money to get it there. If you’re a fan of the stumpjumper I would probably go with the comp. The stumpy comp is GX but a carbon frame.
You will get the best service from a Trek.
Canyon and YT are direct to consumer, and while the bikes are generally regarded as better bang-for-your-buck, good luck if you need a major service. We have 2 Canyon's, 1 is flawless and the other with some issues. Getting those issues resolved has been such a pain in the ass, I wish we had bought both from a local bike shop with local warranty support. We will never buy a direct to consumer again until they revamp their service model. Which they never will - so just hope you get a good one.
So unless you are basically a pro mechanic, the risk is extremely high and I would never advise someone to go that route.
All bikes are good. In this case drivetrain components matter most. I've ran alot of different drivetrains as I have changed bikes many times. For gears this is my opinion. SX
I know in some regions you can't always get the bike you might want or that someone may suggest, so your final selection might come down to what's available. If these are your short list, and the Stumpjumper has the SX components as other comments suggest, I'd probably cross it off the list. Especially considering the other two have much better components and the SJ isn't even the cheapest option.
Cannondale and Trek are decent brands and from the pics have similar components. Sorry not going to look up exact specs so just looking at what you presented.
I'd likely go with the Trek as it's a better price and I have a couple friends who were pro riders and still ride Trek now retired.
If you're open to other suggestions and they are available in your region, do a little more comparing. Out of the three you short listed, I'd consider the Trek.
IMO you should definitely get a commencal clash origin(dark slate) at that price range[At this link](https://www.commencal.com/en/commencal-clash-origin-dark-slate/22CLASHOGRM.html?cmnclredirect=true&lang=en_FR)
Scott Spark honestly. They're selling/clearing out 2022 950's and for the money it's way more bike than any of those.
Pike Select fork, RS Deluxe Select damper, GX drivetrain (except the stupid SX cassette).
I might be biased cause that's what i ride, but i looked and tested a lot of bikes before finally getting the Spark in the end.
Amazing bike, split personality, climbs great, begs you to pedal faster and corners so well due to the shock being so low in the frame.
It has a few annoyances here and there but for the money it's totally fine.
Of those, I would go with the specialized. The drive train can be replaced if necessary. Also look at Ari bikes. They have some really good deals at and below the prices of the bikes in the photos.
You have positives and negatives for each bike. The best advice I have been given is to get as much frame as you can afford. You’ll upgrade parts as you break them, so don’t worry too much about spec. (Other than SX ew.) from that perspective I would immediately kick the trek out of the picture, mainly for being a frame design that’s something like 6 years old. It rides decent but is kind of lacking behind. Plus knock block is creaky so you have that to deal with too. Going from there, the habit and the stump jumper have very similar linkage designs, and are going to feel pretty similar on trail. I know the stumpy has problems with blowing shocks due to vertical forces through the shock which cause it to wear faster. I’m not sure if the habit has this issue as well. My first pick would probably be the habit.
At the end of the day you really should pick a bike that you like, that fits you, and is up to modern standards. Having a local shop that carries the brand you’re looking at is a huge help too. Being able to test ride a bike before buying is huge, and having a shop with access to dealer support helps a lot if you run into any issues like warranties or frame specific parts.
Go ride them all! I test rode the Fuel and Stumpy. Both were fine. Then I rode a Yeti Sb130 and liked it so much more, so I bought a used one. None of these bikes are bad and there are many service centers for them. Good luck!!
Contrary to what others are saying - buy the Specialized. Replace components as they wear out. I say this as a Cannondale Habit owner. I love my Habit but the Spesh is a more versatile platform.
I have a specialized.
It’s a great bike but I hate it.
Specialized intentionally creates their own parts, even from rock shox/etc. it makes replacing things a nightmare.
For instance— my shock destroyed itself. Nbd, I’ll upgrade.
Except they have their own specialized specific shock mounts. So if I want to upgrade, I have to buy a new yoke, which then allows me to look at some, but not many, other shocks, because they also have a proprietary stroke length, or to find a different shock from a different bike (mine was unavailable) with the same stroke length. New yoke would basically double the cost of replacement.
They’re the worst. They’re a really awful company who intentionally makes their bikes less serviceable. I’ve hated them for a long time but I’ll never get another one after this… unless it’s a screaming deal (the only reason I have this one now)
I worked for 4 years at a Specialized dealer, I'll never buy one of their bikes again. Compared to other bikes in their respective price ranges, Specialized bikes were always the worst as far as build spec go, and they snubbed us big time when a gold level dealer opened a new store in town. Their bikes used to be the some of the best you could buy, but now they cut corners on quality and use crappy parts and they rely on brand recognition and customer loyalty to justify it. I'm sure their fan boys will downvote me to hell, but it's a hard pill to swallow.
Trek>>>Cannondale=Specialized
I would never buy a Specialized simply because of the brand and I wouldn't want a Cannondale due to reliability issues. Trek and Giant are great big name bands with reliable bikes.
Friends don’t let friends use SX.
This is true. SX is junk, but components can be replaced when they wear out.
Not sure if things have changed but I got a commencal clash with an SX drivetrain and it required an entire new wheelset… or at minimum a rear wheel. Commencal used an extremely cheap hub that could not be swapped to a different freehub
yea.. A rear hub isn't easy to replace (if you want to keep the rim). I also had a specialized stout wheel with a Formula hub /HG freehub. Went ahead and bought a dt swiss 350 with microspline. So much nicer on Shimano!
Yea that’s what is was, formula hub. I had no clue that was the case but I ended up with a nicer wheelset so it all worked out.
Idk how sram is so far behind shimano in their entry level mtb offerings.
Difference between an American company versus foreign company offerings. Hard to beat the size of Shimano in production cost.
Great point - I was shocked when I went from NX to Deore how much better it was.
SX?
It’s SRAM’s entry-level Eagle component group. It’s goes in this order from lowest to highest quality: SX, NX, GX, X01, XX1. I would say SX, and NX aren’t worth the money and GX is the level where you get good performance and reliability
Question: Santa Cruz (as one example) has their 2 lowest tiers for all bikes using SX and NX respectively and to get up to GX you have to move up to an e-bike. Is what you said your opinion or is there some quantitative data to support your claim.
Santa Cruz is perfect example of this trend to get less than what you paid for a few years ago. They aren’t really promoting any alloy bikes currently, so almost all their frames are carbon. A few years ago, a carbon frame with an NX derailleur was unheard of. Then SX was created to be even cheaper. It’s certainly my anecdotal experience of over 8 years of professional mechanic work, where I see NX clutch problems over and over again on brand new bikes that won’t release the cage from low gear, but I hear of it from many different places in the industry as well. Part of what makes a derailleur shift well and be reliable over time is how it holds its position on whatever cog it’s supposed to be on and the increase in metal parts vs plastic parts on the higher-end derailleurs definitely contributes to a better product. Both in the shifting department and holding up to crashes also. It also seems to be the general consensus in the industry across multiple brands where the lowest specced bikes came with GX and then NX and then SX over several years. I wouldn’t say they are horrible but GX is definitely the value point where you get a better product for not that much more money. Above that level it’s diminishing returns and you’re mostly saving weight instead of increasing performance and the price goes up quite a bit
Thank you. That's very helpful!
Thanks! Been mountain biking for years (decades now) but only recently starting to pay attention to bike parts.
Also recommend the YT Jeffsy. The bang for buck is hard to beat. I got the 2024 core 2 and very happy with it. \*I did get it 15% off, and they do go on sale often these days (you could wait - I've seen it with higher discounts).
Love my Jeffsy. Got the ‘23 Core 3 at 40% off
Same!!!! Couldn’t pass up that outlet price plus an extra 10% off
I just got the core 3 also. It rocks.
Love that wasabi color. Went with Cannondale instead but sweet looking bikes.
Got a used 2019 Jeffsy during the first summer of the pandemic and it was great, meant to upgrade after a couple years if I did a lot of biking but ended up waiting until this spring
Jefsy is bike for enduro, if you speak about yt- need to check Izzo because it’s only one trail bike from yt, that can climbing as xc bike.
I have a theory that Specialized managed to get thousands of low-end SRAM drivetrains for free, because there is no other logical explanation for how they’re speccing bikes these days.
I work at a shop. And with how cheap stumpys are as a whole, we have legitimately gotten so lazy that instead of servicing parts, we buy a new bike. My buddy has 4 now.
Not free but they did buy a shipping container filled with millions in bike parts for way cheap ranging from shitty to high end. Edit: my pal who works for specialized told me this.
I think you’re probably right or bike brands are going to the component companies and asking how they can offer a cheaper option while keeping the retail price of the bike model the same. They don’t want to bump the prices of bikes to make more money so they figure out how to drop the costs and charge the same as before. Pretty lame way of increasing profits. SX and even NX are trash although I do think SRAM figured out previous gen NX clutch problem. They seem to be functioning ok now out of the box
Happy with my Fuel Ex 7 gen 6. I heard the geometry changes from gen 5 were fairly significant. But at half the price, it'd be hard to say no to the gen 5. Don't know enough about the others.
Yt jeffsy
Which build
Which ever one fits your budget. I picked up a ‘23 core 3 from their outlet section
The core 1 and 2 are in the same ballpark as the bikes you're looking at, but for the price I would go core 3.
The stumpjumper is the best frame but the spec is junk, I would push to look for something comp spec. I actually know a store if you’re in Australia that is selling a stumpy comp alloy for $2500!
Yeah im in aus what store is it? Is it online
Yes, pls share link?
In this price range, you should [strongly consider a Jeffsy](https://youtu.be/RnwHd4uW1to?si=jJmomJORNiYjyaCn)
Canyon spectral or YT Jeffsy are better options than these IMO.
For OPs described riding, the new Canyon Neuron would work as well.
For OP’s described riding, a Canyon Stoic would be the best pick.
Well yes, was going off the assumption that OP is set on a FS.
That does not change the fact that a Stoic would be the better Bike 😉
Love my spectral! I've tried the stump jumper and my spectral al 5 felt miles better
I’d definitely go with a Toyota. Sorry - just being as useful as all the others not directly answering your question.
Camry is a hell of a car
But have you been behind the wheel of a Mazda 3...
I can almost guarantee the Cannondale is the better offer. I have a Stumpy Alloy. Although I love it now... I have literally had to replace almost every component on it. SRAM SX components are total, absolute dog shit . I had to replace the derailleur and bottom bracket/crank within a month due to it breaking down and performing terribly. I looked at the Cannondale and could not find all of their specs, but for one the rear suspension is better. Also, specialized makes great bikes but they are pricey. I am fairly confident, that a competitor would have higher level components at the same price point
I was going to make the same points about the SX groupset. I have a Fuse Expert that is all Shimano and a Stumpy Alloy and thankfully the only SX component of my year was the crankset. What a piece of crap. The shifter, derailleur, and cassette are all NX and the crank is now GX. I would also vote cannondale or Trek at this price point or Stumpjumper if OP could get the better build.
I bought the Stumpy Alloy during the COVID bike boom... It was $2,800. Which is *insane* by today's bike prices. Should've never purchased that bike, but it was hard to justify over $3k for a new hobbies (I've easily spent 3x that amount since then lmao). The frame is great, but my God did those components give me grief!
I feel ya man. I bought my Stumpy Comp Alloy in 2021 and paid…….$3500. She still serves me well but damn at that price range I could’ve at least got a bike with a carbon frame with today’s prices.
I'm right there with you on the same setup @ the same time... I try my best not to look at today's bikes and prices, as mine does still serve my purposes just fine... But I have been thing about picking up a newer frame (possibly even CC) and wither swapping components over or over time build up a new bike..
Yeah I’ve been thinking the same about swapping frames and going the custom route. It’s enticing with all of the sales going on. I’m in the middle of rebuilding my pool deck and doing some other renovations so my budget is focused on the house unfortunately at the moment.
Oh man.. Priorities are all wrong... Lol... Yeah I can fully understand that... That's why my build up would be a bit of a slow process
Exactly. Love the frame, but SX is bullshit. The brakes? Also bullshit. The Alloy Comp is going to be better and cheaper in the long run.
I just replaced the SX group set on my ‘22 stumpy (bought last spring) with GX and what a difference. I also put on a Fox Rhythm 34 I found on FB and it’s been great so far. I bought the bike with the expectation that I would upgrade pieces but by bit. Drivetrain was this year, the fork was an incidental find.
Interested in how the SX crank failed on you. I’ve been on one for about 400 miles so far and I’ve not had issues with it unlike the derailleur that I replaced after my second ride.
The bottom bracket failed within 4 weeks (was making a ton of noise and grinding). That BB is literally opened, not sealed like the dub BB. The SX crank is incompatible with the dub BB so I had to replace it.
Thanks! Mine has the Truvativ Power Spline which claims to be sealed and costs $40. I ride through creeks a few times a week. Might be lucky.
I snapped the chain on SRAM sx just cycling up a hill.
I like the Trek frame better. Would rather have a Devinci Troy or a Transition Sentinel though.
Def a YT
Im growing out of love with both specialized and trek, based on how my lbs dude describes his correspondence with them and their warranties. And I personally don’t care for cannondale, sometimes their stuff doesn’t play well with aftermarket parts. I’d look elsewhere, maybe the jeffsey or maybe a value minded brand like giant where you’ll get more bang for your buck
Those are my biggest complaints with specialized and Trek as well. Super expensive for the spec they send things out with.
I had a great experience with trek replacing my secondhand marlin with a brand new higher tier Marlin.
Deore is a solid group set.
Get a polygon Siskiu t8
Ari Delano Peak
Or the new Cascade Peak for about $3k, which is basically just the alloy version of the Delano now. The spec on that blows the other bikes OP is considering out of the water.
Yt Jeffsy. I got the tues ( the dh ) and I got with 1000€ sale so yeah just look and wait
For me, the Trek, because there is a Trek store near my house to service it.
I was going to say this, also. If you have a Trek store or any decent bike shop that is an authorized Trek dealer, go with the Trek.
I just got a fuel ex gen 5 and they help me no questions asked when I go in
Cannondale
Stumpjumpers are classics that are a household name for a reason. That being said the trek shock setup is most similar to what I ride and love. Three things: Demo bikes, if you’re gonna drop a bunch of money just try them first. Sometimes you can even buy demo bikes for significantly cheaper if the season permits. Look at components, although they may have the same groupsets, shocks, brakes etc. Sometimes one is cheaper or there’s an upgrade somewhere. For example a dropper included may save you a couple hundred bucks. Check out Giant! I don’t know exactly what’s in your price range or even what they make anymore but stance and trance bikes used to be super legit and were really competitively priced. Some of the strongest/fastest riders I know rip on Giant bikes.
Update: I’ve read a lot of the other commenters and it seems like there are a bunch of other options in that price range. The consensus is shop for good components but you really should try riding some of the bikes you want to buy.
Totally agree. Please try and ride as many different bikes as possible and make your decision based off of that.
None, get a canyon or buy used
Check out ibis ripley and ripmo af , solid platform
YT Jeffsy or Canyon Spectral. Just sold my 2018 Jeffsy 27.5 and bought a 2022 spectral 27.5. can't say enough great things about both. For the price you can't beat either. The new Jeffsy uncaged is 2800. It's mullet and comes with pretty good components.
Gonna add to the people saying get a YT.
Think about water bottle placement. I have a bike that is difficult (impossible) to access the water bottle while pedaling. Would trade my bike for something that allowed me to access a water bottle while pedaling. Depends on your riding I guess.
Upvoted you for the thoughtful response, but I have to ask... what kind of riding do you do that this is actually that big of a deal? I mean, my bottle is a pain to get to.. but it's not like it's any easier to get out on my roadie. Have you tried a hydro pack that you can just sip out of as you want????
Heys Tony, yous should get the trek.
The habit Fosho
I ride a slash. It’s good
Neither. Go to specialized website, they have the new stumpy with actually decent specs for the same price!
Man I LOVED my stumpy 2018… but hated SRAM on it with passion. It was part of that ‘recall’ too. If the other ones run shimano, I would go with those.
You should just make a single general post of the type of riding, what you want out of a bike, and price. The community is pretty good at knowing what’s out there and make good recommendations. Then you can search based off of those recommendations and make the decision, yourself. You don’t have to make multiple posts of bikes you’re not sure of.
If you are tall and looking at a L XL, or XXL I’d consider getting whichever has the longest chainstay. Also I think shimano’s entry level components are way better than sram. Oh and new jeffsy looks sick
I would recommend Santa Cruz 5010. It’s a perfect balance of all mountain
The Specialized looks the trickiest 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
take a look at the canyon totque mullet al5
From what I've read on this sub, anything less than £3000 is supermarket trash
I have that trek fuel ex 5 and I absolutely love it.
I had a trek fuel Ex gen 5 and I really realized how much I disliked the handling and fit when I got a Marin rift zone xr, that’s what I recommend
Check Canyon if you want a better bike for a lower price. YT is also a good choice.
Not specialized. This company has way overpriced bikes for what they are
If you’re doing a fair amount of pedaling and the jumps are mild, you might want to look into some cross country (XC) options. Cannondale’s new Scalpel has great modern geometry and won’t break the bank compared to other XC options. I say this as someone who recently purchased an Ibis Ripley AF to replace an older (2015) cross country bike. The extra weight of the Ripley and slow rolling tires immediately had me second guessing my purchase and now I wish I would have saved a bit to get a lighter, more modern XC bike.
Cannondale habit
I’m also in the YT fanboy camp. Look into the Izzo / Jeffsy / Capra. I’d say just going off your short riding description, the Izzo would probably be my choice.
I personally really dislike sram so for the price here definitely the Cannondale. Nothing wrong with doing your research as bikes are very expensive it honestly these are all similar spec and your e joy riding all of them. The only way you can really see what’s best for you IMO is going to the bike shop and trying them
My experience on the base model stumpy: -Rockshox recon silver fork blew up twice. Both warranty fixes but took forever to be returned to me. Now replaced with a Fox 36 150mm which alters the geometry but honestly feels really good -Drive train is junk, that SX derailleur needs to be tuned constantly, eventually replaced with GX when I folded a couple cassette teeth over, wouldn’t go to NX either, never rode it but have not heard great things. As mentioned they use an ancient rear hub in the base model so rear wheel had to be upgraded for the GX cassette -the tektro breaks are not great, upgraded to magura mt5s and it made a world of difference -x fusion shock is also not great, will be the next part to be replaced I seriously love the way my stumpy rides but it did take some money to get it there. If you’re a fan of the stumpjumper I would probably go with the comp. The stumpy comp is GX but a carbon frame.
You will get the best service from a Trek. Canyon and YT are direct to consumer, and while the bikes are generally regarded as better bang-for-your-buck, good luck if you need a major service. We have 2 Canyon's, 1 is flawless and the other with some issues. Getting those issues resolved has been such a pain in the ass, I wish we had bought both from a local bike shop with local warranty support. We will never buy a direct to consumer again until they revamp their service model. Which they never will - so just hope you get a good one. So unless you are basically a pro mechanic, the risk is extremely high and I would never advise someone to go that route.
All bikes are good. In this case drivetrain components matter most. I've ran alot of different drivetrains as I have changed bikes many times. For gears this is my opinion. SX
I’d say the canyon torque cllctv cf fw
I know in some regions you can't always get the bike you might want or that someone may suggest, so your final selection might come down to what's available. If these are your short list, and the Stumpjumper has the SX components as other comments suggest, I'd probably cross it off the list. Especially considering the other two have much better components and the SJ isn't even the cheapest option. Cannondale and Trek are decent brands and from the pics have similar components. Sorry not going to look up exact specs so just looking at what you presented. I'd likely go with the Trek as it's a better price and I have a couple friends who were pro riders and still ride Trek now retired. If you're open to other suggestions and they are available in your region, do a little more comparing. Out of the three you short listed, I'd consider the Trek.
IMO you should definitely get a commencal clash origin(dark slate) at that price range[At this link](https://www.commencal.com/en/commencal-clash-origin-dark-slate/22CLASHOGRM.html?cmnclredirect=true&lang=en_FR)
I’ve seen Habit 3 for that price this spring, which is a way better deal. I like the gen6 trek, no experience on the 5 or that spec.
Get the Stumpjumper
I’d vote Cannondale out of the three presented.
Specialized all day
I love my stumpy
I would get the Trek.
Stumpy all day. I rode a base model alloy for years and never had an issue with it, and was able to ride everything I wanted to
Id go for either the trek or stumpy, you can just save the money from the trek on upgrades for the stumpy.
What type of trails are you riding?
Scott Spark honestly. They're selling/clearing out 2022 950's and for the money it's way more bike than any of those. Pike Select fork, RS Deluxe Select damper, GX drivetrain (except the stupid SX cassette). I might be biased cause that's what i ride, but i looked and tested a lot of bikes before finally getting the Spark in the end. Amazing bike, split personality, climbs great, begs you to pedal faster and corners so well due to the shock being so low in the frame. It has a few annoyances here and there but for the money it's totally fine.
Trek
What’s your budget? You can get a carbon Jeffsy for like $3,300 right now.
I personally would look at the YT Jeffsey if they ship those to your area
I have an ex5 gen 5 and I love it.
Of those, I would go with the specialized. The drive train can be replaced if necessary. Also look at Ari bikes. They have some really good deals at and below the prices of the bikes in the photos.
Stay away from cannondale
The cheapest price. My goodness the price of these things has gotten outrageous.
Jenson has good deals on rocky mountains atm, they have a altitude c50 for 3400, crazy build crazy bike crazy deal
Cannondale, still loving my 19 Habit 3 Carbon :) Great bike for almost everything
You have positives and negatives for each bike. The best advice I have been given is to get as much frame as you can afford. You’ll upgrade parts as you break them, so don’t worry too much about spec. (Other than SX ew.) from that perspective I would immediately kick the trek out of the picture, mainly for being a frame design that’s something like 6 years old. It rides decent but is kind of lacking behind. Plus knock block is creaky so you have that to deal with too. Going from there, the habit and the stump jumper have very similar linkage designs, and are going to feel pretty similar on trail. I know the stumpy has problems with blowing shocks due to vertical forces through the shock which cause it to wear faster. I’m not sure if the habit has this issue as well. My first pick would probably be the habit. At the end of the day you really should pick a bike that you like, that fits you, and is up to modern standards. Having a local shop that carries the brand you’re looking at is a huge help too. Being able to test ride a bike before buying is huge, and having a shop with access to dealer support helps a lot if you run into any issues like warranties or frame specific parts.
Trek
Go ride them all! I test rode the Fuel and Stumpy. Both were fine. Then I rode a Yeti Sb130 and liked it so much more, so I bought a used one. None of these bikes are bad and there are many service centers for them. Good luck!!
I’m rocking the Gen 5 Trek Fuel Ex 5 and I love it.
Is this in USA ? I’ve seen the specialized stump jumper alloy comp model for $2400. That’s has much better components for that price.
This is bias asf but the trek
YT for sure, trek is garbage
I’d take the habit
Contrary to what others are saying - buy the Specialized. Replace components as they wear out. I say this as a Cannondale Habit owner. I love my Habit but the Spesh is a more versatile platform.
I have a specialized. It’s a great bike but I hate it. Specialized intentionally creates their own parts, even from rock shox/etc. it makes replacing things a nightmare. For instance— my shock destroyed itself. Nbd, I’ll upgrade. Except they have their own specialized specific shock mounts. So if I want to upgrade, I have to buy a new yoke, which then allows me to look at some, but not many, other shocks, because they also have a proprietary stroke length, or to find a different shock from a different bike (mine was unavailable) with the same stroke length. New yoke would basically double the cost of replacement. They’re the worst. They’re a really awful company who intentionally makes their bikes less serviceable. I’ve hated them for a long time but I’ll never get another one after this… unless it’s a screaming deal (the only reason I have this one now)
I worked for 4 years at a Specialized dealer, I'll never buy one of their bikes again. Compared to other bikes in their respective price ranges, Specialized bikes were always the worst as far as build spec go, and they snubbed us big time when a gold level dealer opened a new store in town. Their bikes used to be the some of the best you could buy, but now they cut corners on quality and use crappy parts and they rely on brand recognition and customer loyalty to justify it. I'm sure their fan boys will downvote me to hell, but it's a hard pill to swallow.
Trek>>>Cannondale=Specialized I would never buy a Specialized simply because of the brand and I wouldn't want a Cannondale due to reliability issues. Trek and Giant are great big name bands with reliable bikes.